


A lot of pride and even more of prejudice

by an_nox



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Anxiety, Claustrophobia, Comedy, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, JJ friendly, JJ is not as twat as you could think, M/M, Post canon, Swearing, pride & prejudice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-14
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2019-03-04 17:01:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13369158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/an_nox/pseuds/an_nox
Summary: There are pros and cons in every situation. Of course, an elevator failure is obviously a disadvantage. Or to get stuck with a disliked colleague from the rink.Yuuri has to endure JJ and wait for help. Claustrophobia and mutual anticipation are in the air.In other words - don't judge a book by its cover.





	A lot of pride and even more of prejudice

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!  
> This is a translation (or rather an interpretation) of my fanfic "Duma na pokaz, uprzedzenie na pęczki" written in Polish ages ago. I translated this about half a year ago but it took time for me to get courage to publish it. I gave the fanfic to my English-native friend for beta, but she couldn't finish checking. English is not my first language, I am aware that I make a lot of mistakes. I would really appreciate if you share comments not only about a story, but also about the language, grammar and vocabulary. It would help me to learn more.  
> Thank you!
> 
> I really like JJ as a character showed with the flaws. And the idea that Yuuri doesn't realise how his actions could be seen by someone from the distance.

That day was a perfect sinusoid. Everything was just going up and down. Firstly, Yuuri had been sleeping until noon and nobody had dared to disturb him (plus). Then, Yuuri went for a sort of breakfast to a hotel café and there he was sort of attacked by Isabella Yang (minus). Yuri was the one who came to rescue him, scaring the woman away (plus?). Yuri was also the one who showed Yuuri what kind of fuss in social media they had created with Viktor just by skating together at the Grand Prix Gala (minus?).

(Not to mention the rampaging hysteria that held place because of Plisetsky and Altin performance, but Yuri seemed to be happy about it.)

After that, Phichit came and tried to persuade Yuuri that all the SNS madness was great news. Phichit had lost a bet with his best friend so he had to pay for Yuuri’s meal (plus). And then, Yuuri attempted to come back to his hotel room and he got stuck in a lift with JJ (huge minus). After all, it all ended with more pros than cons.

Yet, it’s the con that this story starts with.

Yuuri was entering a lift when he realized that somebody was trying their best to catch it so he put his foot to prevent the doors from closing. And life punished Yuuri almost immediately for being too kind to people. The person that entered the small, limited space of the lift was nobody else than JJ. For a brief moment Katsuki had a slice of hope that Leroy would show some sense of tact and leave. But he did not. JJ just stepped in, looking slightly tensed.

“Hi,” he greeted happily and weirdly the same time.

Yuuri nodded awkwardly to greet him back, too surprised to trust his voice. He pushed the button for the 25th floor and then watched JJ choose the 24th. They were doomed to a long, embarrassing way up.

Leroy was standing still with a really strong self-confidence radiating from him. Yet, somehow Katsuki knew almost instantly that his skating colleague was faking a smile and a perky posture. Yuuri had known Viktor and his little tricks for too long to not notice this tiny indication of forced behavior. JJ’s eyes stayed hollow and tired, face muscles tensed and steady like a mask. The tips of his mouth were rising a little bit just thanks to the power of will. There was nothing sincere about that smile.

Suddenly with a rush of fresh memories Yuuri remembered JJ’s fiancée who not long ago had been insulting him in two or three languages along with unsubstantiated accusations. Katsuki didn’t understand what she had been yelling until Yuri arrived. That was that moment when English words with a strong French accent multiplied by rage started reaching his shocked mind. Isabella Yang was accusing both of Yuris of quelling her fiancé. She yelled that normal people fought to beat themselves, to be better version of themselves, as JJ always did. And then they, Katsuki and Plisetsky, they were just plotting how to mess with JJ’s confidence and put him down that way. Instead of choosing to play fair, they stuck to counting on Leroy’s bad performance undermining his skills. They didn’t deserve the first and second place on the podium.

Neither Yuuri, nor Yuri, knew what was Isabella’s fuss about. After she left, the Russian commented that she was just a maniacal bitch with constant pain in the ass, ‘cause her loverboy hadn’t won the Grand Prix Final, as expected, and he couldn’t fulfill the promise of marrying her after achieving a gold medal. Katsuki wasn’t particularly good at understanding people and that was the reason why he always tried to avoid social interactions as much as possible. Nonetheless, even he did notice a vast and immense affection for JJ that had driven Isabella to that vivid and crazy reaction. Whatever nonsense she came up with, however she misbehaved, she did the right thing in order to protect her beloved one who was being hurt in her opinion. And Yuuri respected that a lot.

Katsuki smirked thinking that even this total coxcomb (how did he know that word? Probably Viktor’s fault and his passion for old weird books), who was sharing the lift with him, could be worthy of somebody’s unconditional love. You can find a human being in every dick, as Mari always said, though that was how she usually described rude clients.

Yuuri noticed with concern that JJ was clenching his fists so strong that knuckles became pale white. Katsuki hawked awkwardly.

“Congratulations on the third place,” he said in a very polite way.

Canadian gave him a quick loathing look but he pulled himself together in an instant, showing again the fake smile.

“Congratulations on the second place,” he answered almost enthusiastically.

The top screen was showing succeeding floors. The lift sometimes shook slightly. Inside, there was this heavy, stiff silence full of something unspoken. Yuuri was glaring with tension at changing numbers. They haven’t even succeeded 10th floor yet. Katsuki thought that he couldn’t survive this much pressure quietly.

“Congratulations also on your engagement. When do you plan to get married?” he asked with urge to make this conversation as casual as possible.

JJ barely gave him a look with the corner of his eye. “Probably next year,” he said with hesitation. “Next next I mean.”

“So long to wait?” The Japanese skater politely showed his surprise. “I thought it was an urgent matter.”

JJ nodded. “It got complicated.”

He didn’t add anything so Yuuri found himself where he had started. Stuck in this vicious, unpleasant silence. Yuuri looked at the top screen. 16th floor... You gotta be kidding. Why was this lift going so slowly?

“And what about you?” suddenly JJ interrupted the silence. “You and your... man?” he added with his characteristic manner of being lightly insolent.

Katsuki felt a strong regret that he had started this conversation. He went for a joke, tho: “I didn’t get the gold as well, so I’m afraid that my case is also delayed.”

To be honest, Yuuri didn’t believe fully in his own engagement with Viktor. Now he knew how it could have been seen by others (especially one significant other), but his intent of buying golden rings was different. And then they’d had a little bit of misunderstanding when Viktor started joking about a wedding in order to quiet Phichit’s loud reaction.

...misunderstanding, right?

Katsuki got lost in thoughts for a second because JJ remained silent. That was weird for Yuuri. He expected maybe a light verbal attack or at least petty witty jokes that everyone was saying about Viktor and Yuuri. But JJ said nothing. The Canadian looked really tense like only thing he was willing to do was leave this place. That seemed so out of character for Yuuri. Well, Yuri also had behaved surprisingly happy showing unnatural friendliness, probably due to sudden release of stress after winning a big competition and performing perfectly at the gala. So why JJ couldn’t do something unusual as well?

20th floor...

All of sudden, a loud, strange grind unpleasant for ears was heard from the outside. A rough tug came after that and the lights got dimmer leaving two males in soft, troublesome duskiness. With a tug, Yuuri lost his balance and hit the wall with his head in a really hard and painful way. Glasses fell off onto the floor. After overcoming an unpleasant daze from the shock of impact, Yuuri knelt and found them half-blind. He put them on and turned himself to JJ.

That wasn’t the look Katsuki had expected to see. Leroy was standing on wide spread trembling legs, breathing heavily. Sweat was forming beads on the young man’s forehead to trail down with wet stripes marking unhealthily reddened chicks. It took a moment for Yuuri to understand that he was just experiencing somebody having a classic anxiety attack. Although Katsuki was still feeling (not exactly hearing) stupefying ringing in his ears, he thought that something had to be done to solve this situation. The Japanese skater gently put a relaxed palm on the Canadian’s arm tensed beyond limits.

“It’s ok,” he said with the calm caused probably by the shock. “It’s just a little breakdown.”

JJ gave him a look intended for other planets’ inhabitants.

“Maybe...” Yuuri stuttered feeling overwhelmed by this plain disbelief in younger man’s eyes. “Maybe you can sit down?” he suggested noticing that JJ’s breath shortened and speeded up. You couldn’t have a heart attack in age of twenty, could you?

Leroy touched the wall with his hand and hesitantly slide down like he was expecting that the floor would drop out at any moment taking them to the abyss beneath. Yuuri rana palm through his hair in search of inspiration. He felt unpleasantness and fear, that was obvious, but at the same time he was overflown with a strange self-confidence which put his mind in the comforting state of peace. If he panicked, they both would be gone. They would be rescued with a bad case of nervous breakdowns. Nobody would eventually get married.

Yuuri took a deep breath. He searched for a cell phone and helped himself with its light to find an alarm button. After pushing it for the required ten seconds, nothing happened. The Japanese skater tried again and again but no one picked up. The ringing in Yuuri’s ears started fading away but another uneasy noise was rising. Katsuki could feel own heart coming all the way up to stick in his throat, immersing him in panic. He swallowed all the fears down and looked at the smartphone screen. Net was out of service. Ok, if he couldn’t reach Viktor or Phichit, he should have still been able to use emergency connections. Yuuri stood on the tips of his toes and tried to lift the cell phone as high as possible, looking for weak spots of the walls’ corners. He danced a little bit on his toes to get one mark of signal. Fortunately, it was enough to call Viktor. The Russian answered after few long signals so Yuuri was starting to feel tension building in calves when he was trying to remain still.

“Yuuuuuri!” Viktor sang. “Where are you? I was looking for you everywhere!”

“I got stuck in the elevator! I mean the elevator stopped and it’s broken!” Yuuri rushed to explain their situation. “Our hotel, the B elevator, probably between 20th and 21st floor, JJ’s with me! I don’t know if the emergency button’s working, ‘cause nobody answered!”

“Yuuri!” This time Viktor sounded terrified. “Are you alone? Are you alright? Are you hurt? I’ll do something! Immediately! Just stay there!”

The cell phone made short, sharp noise to inform that connections were out of service again. Katsuki changed position with a sight of relief and almost burst into laugh. _Just stay there!_ Like, where could he go? There wasn’t even a small window in the ceiling like every action movie ever showed so the main character could escape easily.

A feeling of relief was being pushed away by slowly rising anxiety caused by the same hard to explain noise creeping around. It sounded like somebody was quickly clashing a ceramic mug to a washbasin. Yuuri hoped that wasn’t the crack of breaking rivets supporting the lift but he didn’t know for sure. The Japanese skater breathed a sigh and finally forced himself to look at JJ.

And everything became clear. The noise was caused by the young man’s teeth chattering. Leroy was sitting crouched next to the wall, arms embracing his chest like in an attempt to comfort himself with a hug or at least keep himself together, eyes fixed on the floor, whole body shaking.

Katsuki sucked air sharply. _Yabai_. Not good. Definitely not good. He would expect this kind of reaction from any other person, including himself. Not JJ. Definitely not JJ. For Yuuri it would make much more sense if Leroy was the one to give comfort or to cheer up the companion in misery. Nonetheless, JJ looked like just a one deep breath was between him and the depths of madness.

Yuuri still feeling an unexpected rush of composure, kneeled down next to the younger skater and very gently patted his arm while trying to make an eye contact.

“JJ... Halo? Did you hear that? Help in on the way. Viktor is very good at dealing with situations like this.”

The Canadian barely nodded to show that he had heard. Yuuri sighed again.

“Just stay calm,” he said. “It happens sometimes. Lifts get stuck.”

Yuuri didn’t know what helped JJ but the young man started calming down. Or the anxiety convulsions had been weakening at least. Leroy put his arms a little bit down so he stopped hugging himself so tightly. Katsuki felt a jolt of optimism.

“Hey, listen,” he claimed. “There’s nothing to fear. This in any possible way can’t be worse than controlling thousands of fans, can it? Well, I agree it’s overwhelming when there’s nothing that we can do... We just have to sit and wait. Kind of idle? I guess it’s not _JJ style_!” Yuuri shouted cheerfully last two words and even shaped his fingers in the manner.

Leroy straighten up and looked right at the happy face of Katsuki. And it wasn’t a nice gaze.

“Stop it,” JJ mumbled through a squeezed throat. “Stop it,” he added louder. “Stop it! Stop mocking me every step I take! You’ve been mocking me since I entered the lift! Having the time of your life, huh? You can enjoy my claustrophobia as much as you want! With your silver, Yuri, Viktor and half of the Russian team who you’re sleeping with!”

Yuuri’s smile was melting down with every single word JJ said. The Japanese skater froze in a bizarre pose, kneeling, fingers shaped into idiotic hooks making “JJ” initials. Leroy was so furious that red stains bloomed all over his face despite the previous blush, and angry tears literally flushed from his eyes.

“I...” Yuuri stuttered again. “I don’t sleep with anybody!” he yelled in terror just to realize the absurdity of the situation. “I’m... I’m not mocking you! I’m not teasing! I just wanted to comfort you! Cheer you up. You know, joke! Yes, a joke! A joke like that one that if you won the gold, I wouldn’t be able to get married to Viktor!”

“So that’s your revenge?” JJ asked and made a choking sound caused by tears and a runny nose.

Yuuri’s hands reached for his head in a terrified gesture. “I don’t want revenge... Why would I ever want revenge for something like that? You haven’t even won the gold! I just... You were scared, I tried to loosen up the situation! Oh my God, everything went wrong...”

And there was the silence, even heavier than before, interrupted from time to time by JJ’s reluctant sobs and Yuuri’s loud breaths. And at that moment the lift had chosen to move and nearly give both of them a heart attack. JJ screamed shortly, just opposite to Yuuri who choked on his scream. The lights flickered and dimmed again. The Canadian hid his head in arms mumbling something that sounded like a prayer in French. The Japanese skater blinked repetitively searching for the old friend - the fear - in his body. It felt so bizarre to not feel that obvious and well-known emotion that Yuuri almost laughed but suppressed the urge, knowing that it would upset JJ more. He took a deep breath and set his mind on finding a way out of this situation. Like any mature grown-up would do, right?

Yuuri looked at the younger man. Leroy always seemed much older. Just looking at them, without knowing their real age, nobody would believe that JJ was just nineteen years old and Yuuri as many as twenty-four. Five years age gap. That was a lot in terms of skating. JJ’s league was closer to the Russian Yuri’s, not the Japanese Yuuri’s.

Katsuki moved closer to the Canadian.

“Maybe... Try to call Isabella?” he asked softly. “Or your parents? I’m not sure, if Viktor got it that you’re here with me...”

Leroy sobbed and with shaky hands he took his cell phone out of his hoodie’s pocket.

“T-There’s no signal.”

“Give me that, I will try,” claimed Yuuri and took the smartphone from fossilized fingers.

For next minutes, the Japanese skater did exactly the same dance on his toes as he already had done. The Canadian device was, however, much more stubborn than the Japanese one. Finally, Yuuri stopped trying to relax tensed calves muscles, but it made JJ upset gain. Like he was afraid that Katsuki would make the floor fall out. Yuuri paid attention to the picture on the screen. It showed Isabella, beautifully cheered, somewhere at the seaside. That made him to sink into thought for a moment.

“She came to me and she was really angry,” he said eventually.

JJ looked confused.

“Your fiancée.” Yuuri smiled without joy. “She came to the hotel café and she was yelling at me that I was no match for you. That I wasn’t worthy to match with you.”

Katsuki was still looking at the photo. He couldn’t explain nor help the warm feeling that overwhelmed his insides when memories came back. Though Isabella attacked him in public, without any reason for it, there was something touching in this angered young woman defending her fiancé’s honor. He could feel endorphins circling in his veins. That gave him a short moment of hesitance about whether they were running out of oxygen or not, tho.

Leroy was looking at him with puzzled eyes. Finally he sobbed and said: “Sorry for her. I probably was whining to much about you.”

“You don’t have to be sorry on her behalf,” claimed Yuuri, hopelessly waving the cell phone. “Her beloved one was being hurt so she decided to get it right on her own.”

Talking about Isabella seemed to have a good influence on JJ’s condition because he laughed a little. Although it was a laugh on the edge of an anxiety attack, with high pitched tones, but it was something. A sincere, friendly reaction at least.

“I didn’t think she would stay with me after my fail at the final.”

Yuuri blinked. “Why wouldn’t she?”

A trembling, soft sob escaped Leroy’s chest. The young man quickly pulled himself together, however.

“I was lying so much that I was so amazing that eventually I started believing that myself. Until the very moment, when it turned out I hadn’t been amazing at all.”

JJ made a quiet choked noise with his nose. Katsuki didn’t know what to do or to say so he continued the dance with the cell phone. After a moment of silence, he started talking:

“JJ? You are amazing. You really are. You’ve known what you wanted to achieve and you did everything to fulfill your dream. Against all the odds. I know that you wanted to be trained by Celestino but he kicked you away. I’m sure you wouldn’t make it so far with him... I mean! Not that anything is wrong with Celestino, he’s a great coach!” Yuuri waved his arms like he tried to push away unspoken accusations. “Just you two don’t seem to fit for each other.”

Leroy again was giving him a look like Yuuri had ascended from Mars or Jupiter. But what Katsuki could do? He sighed again, like he had done million times since they stuck together. Yuuri gave up with the Canadian cell phone but he remembered about a little gingerbread cookie that he had gotten along with coffee. The Japanese skater reached to the pocket for the sweet and handed it down to the younger man. JJ was so confused he just took a small gift without any hesitation. It took him few seconds gazing suspiciously at colorful package.

“Eat,” softly said Yuuri. “Sugar brings down adrenaline. Maybe it will comfort you.”

“Wow.” JJ ripped the package. “After all the gossip I heard about you I didn’t think that you were a person that was able to say and do such kind things.”

Katsuki choked on air. “E?”

“You always sneak somewhere in the background, engagingly polite but in the same time wildly haughty,” continued JJ. “The biggest badass in the competition. You and Otabek. Nobody can really speak to you, hang out with you, just do something together. Always so out of reach, madly focused on the main aim. And recently you are also leading on a leash the living legend of skating.”

That was far too much for Yuuri.

“I’m not leading anyone on a leash!,” he burst. “And even so he’s a poodle and his name is Makkachin!”

JJ jerked a bit in the reaction to this angry outbreak.

“I-I didn’t mean anything wrong!” he claimed and frowned for a second. “I mean... Maybe a little, but it’s just the tension between you two! You’re so intense! All the papers go crazy about you, Instagram, Tumblr, Snapchat, everything is about you! Not to mention Twitter. A gazillion photos after every performance... My dad says that you thought it well...” JJ clearly lost the trail of his monologue so he just took a bite of the gingerbread cookie, unaware of a near apoplexy attack he gave Yuuri with his speech.

“And about this tournament in Moscow,” continued JJ after swallowing a chew, “when you grab Viktor’s tie and pulled him demanding attention he’d been giving to the crowd... And this kiss sent to the air. Mum and dad had a nasty argument about it. Mum claimed that you were entering the role of a seducer, that’s what your short program is about, isn’t it?, and you just started your performance before the judges started scoring you. And dad totally disagreed, he said that this kind of behavior was just an unnecessary exaggeration and a good ice skater should earn money and respect by performing art with  good taste, not a cheap claptrap and scandals... Are you alright?”

Yuuri slid down over the wall like JJ did before. His legs refused to carry him any second longer, and his head had become light and heavy simultaneously so he couldn’t keep it straight. JJ was gazing at him with eyes wide open.

“Listen... You had no idea about that? About what they’re saying about you?” asked JJ in shock.

Yuuri gently touched his face, checking if it was on its place because it felt like his own face abandoned him and fell off as all the hope for better life he ever had had.

“How... How would I know?”

Exactly. How? Maybe everyone had known. And they didn’t tell him. Of course they didn’t. Phichit didn’t even utter a word. Well, papers and Internet were one thing, but other fellow skaters? Why would anybody have any interest in him? This things that JJ said... JJ had been afraid of Yuuri, this was the reason he acted so strangely.

Bur how? How? What? Where? Maybe the lift had drifted to another dimension where Yuuri indeed turned somehow into a badass. Maybe here Vicchan would be alive? Goodness Kanon, Buddha Amitaba, God, whoever was available and listening... Yuuri thought of himself as the biggest disgrace in the universe. In his wildest dreams he wouldn’t dare to even think about making up a scandal to boast his career.

Leroy ate a cookie and he was messing with the colorful wrapping paper.

“None of the gossip reached you?” he asked in disbelief. “Like that one - last year’s Grand Prix final was the effect of a poor coaching style and Caldini was to blame. Although, you went to your senses and made an attempt to obtain the best possible coach of all - Nikiforov. Probably because of a lack of money, or just sheer boredom, you seduced him at the banquet with your lewd dance and when it failed eventually, you offered even more, skating Nikiforov’s free program in a perfect style. Arguably better than the original one. You know, a lot of people were looking for the cuts hidden in this video as nobody believed you could skate that well in one piece. Especially after your crushing failures at last year’s Grand Prix final and nationals. And when nobody found any evidence that the video was edited in any way indicating different attempts, all we could do was to believe that you really were one of the best ice skaters and you were somebody to fear or be concerned about at least. And your failures were rooted in something beyond you. What is more, not only your skate style was dangerous but also the way you behave in the skating community. You ensnared Viktor so much that he’d broken his coaching vow to Plisetsky. When Yuri went to claim what was promised to him, you dragged this poor boy into a competition he couldn’t win. And again, the skating community had its eyes only on you, ignoring rest of the events. Now, when you almost got the gold and you broke the world’s record, when you used Viktor from all the possible angles, you will leave him like... Like... Oh, you’ll just leave him! Like a used toy or something, I don’t know.”

Yuuri felt the weird sensation that all the lift’s walls were falling down on his dismayed head as JJ spoke. Who...? How...? Who could suspect him of such mean-spirited, coldly calculated, selfish actions?

Every-fucking-one in Russia.

This was what Yuri had been bitching about in Hasetsu. This was why he had been so upset. This was why Feltsman hadn’t liked Yuuri in the first place. And all the dick jokes from Mila suddenly made sense. All the compassionate looks that Georgi had been giving Viktor also.

“Fuuuuuck!” he moaned hiding his face in hands.

This was why the Italian guy had gone nuts when such sinner had hugged him and his sister. This was why Chris had grabbed his ass as a greeting and implied that Yuuri had been having sex with Viktor so this kind of workout kept him in shape. This was why youngsters in China hadn’t been surprised when Viktor had got naked in public and claimed Yuuri for himself.

Oh my God. It really looked that bad.

His friends knew. Yuuko knew. Phichit had to know. Chris said that pretty clearly. But Yuuri ignored him as he ignored everything else in a desperate attempt to focus only on skating.

Katsuki remembered when Yuuko said that the world would hate Yuuri for taking Viktor from skating. He must have done one of his terrified face expressions because they abandoned the topic. But Yuuri thought that over and he came to the conclusion that he didn’t care for the world such the world never really cared for him either. But it was different with skating competitors who thought they lost not to Yuuri, his talent and hard work, but to a cheap scandal that boasted his career.

JJ ended his speech and remained motionless, glaring at the older colleague. Katsuki presented the embodiment of the misery and despair what was a clear sign that gossips were missing the truth.

“Well...” started Leroy, confused about a sudden role change. Now he wasn’t the one in bigger distress. “I’ve also heard that somebody from your family passed away shortly before last year’s Grand Prix Final and you didn’t get the chance to see that person. If it’s true, then it must have been so hard for you... It’s obvious that you didn’t perform well.”

At the beginning, JJ surprised Yuuri with actions out of the character. Now that was Yuuri’s turn to astonish him as well. Katsuki suddenly look at the younger man with such a cold rage in his eyes that Leroy found himself on the edge of another anxiety attack. The cell phone landed on his knees as thrown ruthlessly by the Japanese skater.

“Thanks for empathy and understanding,” said Yuuri with voice so cold that it almost caused temperature drop in the room. “But do you really think that I could nonchalantly dance drunk as a lord, challenge people to dance-offs, strip off and perform half-naked on a pole, if somebody from my family really passed away?”

JJ swallowed hard, briefly thinking that there was something really odd about Yuuri. He seemed to switch personalities at instant. One second, calm, good fellow, very still and composed, even a little amused by this situation. Second after, completely broken, scared and hostile.

“...I assume that socially acceptable answer is _no_?” asked JJ uncertain.

Yuuri sighed with such deep breath that it practically became a moan. “My dog has died.”

JJ opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened again. Looked at his phone searching for ideas. The wrapping paper from a cookie soaked in JJ’s sweat. Oh God, this Japanese guy was so weird. Leroy almost jumped out the his skin when Katsuki snorted.

Because Yuuri was thinking about all the nasty gossips. Is this how the world sees me? A cool headed, only self-serving seducer who will stop at nothing to achieve the aim. Perfect. That was Viktor’s fault, his and his dumb Eroses. What a cretinism. That bastard probably knew about all that. And he didn’t say a stupid single word...

“I just,” Yuuri heard his voice, now calm, “everything I had I invested in skating. Family, friends, relations, time, money, education... To be honest, I didn’t have that much to sacrifice, because I was running away to an ice rink since I remember. But when there was something, _somebody_ , important in my life I left him. Poor Viktor didn’t deserve such treating...”

JJ frowned.

“Viktor? So you really used him? The gossip about your breaking-up was true?”

For a moment, Leroy was so sure that he would get the punch in his teeth. So sure. But then Yuuri burst in a hysterical laughter, rolling on the floor. JJ was glaring at him in indescribable shock, unable to say anything.

“I will... I will tell you something,” Yuuri finally coughed. “Oh God, even Viktor doesn’t know it... Yet... I gave my dog a name _Viktor_. When I was twelve.”

JJ still had eyes fixed at the Japanese skater but his mouth started to open wide. Katsuki gave up, he had already knew that whatever he would do, Leroy was not able to think of him any less than he had already thought. So Yuuri allowed himself to laugh more.

“I don’t get you,” admitted JJ. “All about this courting, dancing half-naked in public, Viktor going to you through half the world, literally everybody making bets when you’re finally going to dump him... Then you look so ridiculously, madly in love, inseparable, a gazillion photos on the Internet, engaging in public, kissing this damn rings in public, heck, you even kiss each other on the ice on the national TV, not mention that intense gala program... And you’re telling me that you did give your dog a name of Viktor?”

“I’ve loved this dog!” launched out Yuuri. “And I had celebrity crush on Viktor, ok? He was my perfect idol.”

JJ stroked his face surprised how much tension went away with this conversation.

“I don’t know anything about you for sure,” he claimed.

Yuuri pulled legs to his chest and embraced them in attempt to make himself comfortable. JJ undertook similar action but instead of pulling legs, he stretched limbs as much as it was possible without disturbing the companion. For the first time the silence remained comfortable and safe. They both took a moment to reconsider their opinions about the other one.

“Do you think that somebody named their dog JJ?” asked the Canadian.

The Japanese skater run a palm through his dark hairs. “Considering the number of your fans, yeah, I’m pretty sure.”

Leroy seemed to be happy about the answer.

Suddenly lights flickered again and the lift was slowly moving down. Buttons lighted up and the top screen started showing lower numbers. Yuuri was on his feet in an instant.

“It’s working! Ha! They got it moving!” Overflown with joy the Japanese man started a crooked but genuinely delighted dance.

JJ breathed out with a visible relief. However, their joy didn’t last long, because the lift stopped again, with even more rough jolt and all the lights went out. Katsuki again lost his balance but this time he almost sit on Leroy while the younger man tried to help him. In spite of layers of clothes Yuuri could feel fingers cold as ice clenching around his thigh and hip. JJ started shaking. Katsuki, as calmly as he was able to, palpated a place next to the scared colleague, sit down and lighted darkness with the cell phone. He had never seen anybody so much terrified in his life as the Canadian skater was this moment.

“Easy,” he said. Now we have few less floors to fall. He didn’t say that aloud, tho. “They are doing something so I’m sure they know that we are stuck here. I can bet that they will help us any minute.”

JJ was greedily catching his breath. He embraced the head and sobbed softly. Yuuri hesitantly put a palm on Leroy’s back.

“Can you tell me something about Isabella?”

The Canadian sobbed again trembling.

“C’mon, JJ,” Yuuri encouraged him warmly. “How did you meet? At school?”

Leroy stubbornly remained quiet as he hadn’t heard any words.

“Ok, JJ. So maybe we can go back to your short program performance. The last one. I think that was really impressive,” said Yuuri keeping his voice gentle.

“Really!? What was impressive in that pathetic performance?!” shouted the younger man.

“How about how you overcame the pressure and anxiety?”

The phone’s screen went out and Yuuri could hear a tiny soft noise that JJ made from surprise. In the darkness he didn’t see how closed space they were locked in so Katsuki decided to not lighten it again.

“JJ, I know that you spent countless hours to master your own style. Maybe not all skaters like you but nobody can deny the greatness of work that you put into skating. But something cracked during the short program, didn’t it? Expectations became unbearable. Yet you did it. You really overcome it. I’ve seen with my own eyes the hard fight you went through. I think your performance was the most inspiring amongst others’ on the Grand Prix.”

Leroy gasped faintly.

“Although anxiety is the worst,” continued Yuuri, “nobody has the right to judge you for it, because nobody experienced what you did. But what I’m trying to say is that, now, here, it’s the same as it was on the ice. You overcame it there, you can do it again. There’s nothing to fear despite your own fears. Lifts are so secured nowadays. The worst thing that can happen to us is to be stuck here for couple of hours. It’s just your fear that makes you so scared, there’s nothing life threatening.”

JJ made another chocked noise. “That happened to you last Grand Prix final? This... Anxiety attack?

“Ha!” snorted Yuuri. “It happens to me every competition.”

Leroy let himself a cry of surprise.

“Didn’t you notice?” asked Katsuki. “I always listen to music and I’m trying so hard not to focus on surroundings, in other way I would go completely out of my mind. You’re talking to someone with such vast social phobia you have no idea. You called me wildly haughty, but the truth is I’m just so scared of people.”

“Mother of God,” moaned JJ.

Yuuri immediately squeezed himself into the younger man side. “What? You feel worse? Are you going to vomit or something...?”

“No, no!” exclaimed Canadian. “I just... I just realized that. Before I thought that you were ignoring people on purpose, ‘cause you think better of yourself. Like again the tournament in Moscow, I said this thing about Emil to you, and you pretended to not hear me so surprised that I dared to speak to you. I thought that you were mocking me.”

Yuuri hit the screen to lighten his doubting face expression.

“What?” JJ defended himself. “And what’s more, when Viktor was lost from sight, you started hitting on everybody. What could I think?”

The screen dimmed like Yuuri’s faith in humanity. He could feel the crump inside his brain.

“JJ!” he yelled. “That! Wasn’t! Like! That! I went mental, ok? I barely made it to the Grand Prix Final, I missed the podium, and Viktor said to me that if I missed the podium, he would leave, I was so scared! I didn’t know what I was doing. Mister Feltsman explained to me later that I started hugging everyone. I didn’t remember and I was sober! Probably something nasty would have happened to me but fortunately the ex-wife of mister Feltsman noticed that I went nuts, so she grabbed me, gave me a sip of some kind of strong alcohol and I came back to life.”

Lights also came back. Not full power, dimmed once again, but they weren’t sitting in complete darkness. That was the moment they both realized how close each other they were. Two men just turned their heads away but no one made a move to increase the distance. A Spanish disrupted male voice came out of the speaker. Not longer than a moment it was cut out with unpleasant squeak.

JJ moaned desperately.

“Something is fucked up with electricity.” Yuuri shrugged.

“How can you be so calm now?” asked Leroy who had sweat trails all over his face.

“It’s not the first time I got stuck in an elevator. But the funny thing is that the first time was during an earthquake.”

It wasn’t true. This happened to Mari, not him, but young Yuuri heard it so many times that he could adapt the story as his own.

“Firstly we experienced powerful tremors and everything was crackling the way it’s hard to explain. It’s a very low, animal-like sound, that you more feel than hear. The elevator stopped. There were maybe four people, I don’t remember. We used emergency button and a peaceful male voice told us to remain calm and sit on the floor. So we did. Nobody said a thing, nobody freaked out, we just sit. After few minutes the elevator moved and we escaped only to run to the stairs and go down to the gathering zone before the building.”

“Wow,” mumbled JJ. “Weren’t you scared?”

“Of course I was. Aftershocks the most of all. It’s very bad feeling when the building is sort of waving. Even though the tremors stopped you don’t know for sure. But it happens a lot. Every year at school we got a lecture how to behave while that situation. We practice a lot and sometimes it really happens.”

“Yeah. Japan.”

Leroy somehow relaxed enough to unstick himself off the wall and clumsily took off the hoodie. On its back a huge sweat stain was visible and JJ realized something.

“Oh, sorry, I must reek,” he said apologetically.

“C’mon,” Yuuri waved his hand nonchalantly and gave himself a scratch to a cheek. “JJ? If you think of me so little, why exactly did you enter the elevator with me?”

The Canadian rolled up a hoodie and made a pillow from it to put behind his back.

“In fear for situations like this, I avoid almost religiously taking lifts alone. That was why I hurried so much to catch the one with somebody in it. I hesitated for a second when I realized that it was you, but I decided that better with you than alone or walking all the way by stairs. If I got stuck here alone, I would have a heart attack for sure. Or freak out at least.”

“And now you regret,” Yuuri made a joke.

“Not at all,” answered JJ calmly.

Katsuki stared at his hands.

“Your parents must be freaking out. Not only did you stuck in the elevator that you’re afraid of, but also with such a deviant like me.”

JJ snorted. “Oh, like you know. But I will tell them that they’re wrong about you. And Isabella also.”

They shared small, timid smiles.

The huge noise was heard from the outside. Leroy trembled and unconsciously pressed on Katsuki’s side. The Japanese skater patted him comfortingly. The doors were forced to open with a mechanical groan, making about a meter high gap at the top. There one of the rescuers, probably a firefighter, put his upper body.

“Is anybody hurt? Sorry, guys, we tried to open it floor below but we couldn’t manage the outside doors.”

JJ sobbed in relief but he pulled himself together really quick. Yuuri helped him to stand up and then he gave the Canadian hoodie that was lying on the floor.

“Go ahead,” he said.

Leroy took a deep breath and reached the desired outside world. Rescuers grabbed him immediately and pulled out skillfully. Yuuri could hear flash lights. He thought, with a surge of dark humor, that probably tomorrow the world would acknowledge him as a harrier of young men in a lift distress.

“Going, sir?” shouted the rescuer.

Yuuri sighed and give him his hand. In a second he was on a steady ground of one of hotel’s floors. The Japanese skater had to squint eyes due to too much light. Just behind firefighters, there he was. There was Viktor nervously stepping from one leg to another. The Russian’s face looked sick of concern. A little aside, Yuuri could see JJ hugging closely Isabella with parents on his sides. The security tried to stop a vast crowd of spectators. Katsuki smiled warmly and took a step forward. Suddenly he felt something between lightheadedness and vertigo. Just when Viktor’s arms closed around him, Yuuri sunk unconsciously in his embrace.

First thing he saw after a wake up was a troubled face of Phichit.

“YES,” roared the Thai boy. “There he is! He’s back! Stop whining so much!”

Yuuri noticed that he was lying on hotel’s couch in one of very expensive apartments. Apartments that were out of reach for a normal ice skater with a normal salary.

Viktor almost rammed Phichit pushing him violently out of the way. Chulanont gave him a tired gaze.

“Yuuuri! Yuuura, my poor thing, my beloved, my piglet, how do you feel?” Viktor cried out with passion, perching on the couch and leaning over his lover.

Katsuki blinked. Everything was blurred. Oh, glasses.

“Do you feel sick? Do you want to vomit?” The Russian kept asking questions, gently pulling dark hairs away from Yuuri’s forehead.

The Japanese skater sit tentatively. “No, I don’t.” He rubbed his neck. “I think everything’s fine with me.”

“JJ said that you could hit your head when the elevator stopped,” informed Phichit sticking out Viktor’s back. He gave his friend the glasses. “The doctor said, however, that if you felt sick, we had to call ambulance to take you to hospital! Oh, thanks Buddha’s mercy, that you’re awake. Any moment more and I wound sink my own ship. I would literally kill your man. And at the press conference I would say that I did it for the love’s sake! The love for silence and peace!”

The Russian stared at the Thai boy completely indignant. How this tiny Asian fellow could care so little about his best friend’s condition?!

Yuuri didn’t seem bothered, he just took the glasses. Katsuki noticed a bottle of really expensive vine on a table, along with a huge bouquet of flowers and a basket with small gifts with an enormous card “DEEPEST APOLOGY” stuck in the centre. So all that jazz from the hotel, huh? Well, it was rather rare that guest of that much starred hotel were locked in a lift for an hour.

Viktor patted gently Yuuri’s hairs moving closer. The Japanese skater gave him a gaze.

“What about JJ?” he asked.

Nikiforov opened eyes wide rather surprised but then he showed only pride on his face.

“JJ was absolutely terrified!” claimed Phichit obligingly. “He cared so much that you fainted. Almost to the Viktor’s level. Frankly speaking, I’ve never seen him like this. I haven’t known that he was able to show so much concern about other human being. I was really moved by that... By the way, when they pulled him out, he was so pale and he looked as he literally was about to kick the bucket. I felt sorry for him, you know? And then you. You looked ok, but this slid just to fiancé’s arms was so... Picturesque. And I made it Phichitresque, if you know what I mean!”

Yuuri knew. He was forced to look at the pictures that Phichit had taken obviously. In the first, with firefighters’ equipment and rescuers in the background, Katsuki could see himself stepping forward with delicate smile on the face towards stretched arms of Viktor. In the next one, they almost touch. But in the other the Japanese skater’s eyes were half-closed, glasses sliding down from the nose, but Russian hadn’t noticed yet. After that there was next photo where Yuuri bends over Viktor’s arm when the older man is trying to secure fiancé’s glasses. And the last one picture, just a cherry on the top, they look so beautiful as there were posing: Katsuki with smooth, deprived from all concerns face of somebody who sleeps peacefully on the partner’s chest, Nikiforov, on the other hand, a preoccupied lover, eyes fixed at beloved one, supporting him with one arm.

“You faint very beautifully, Yuuri,” said Viktor affectionately.

Katsuki felt a stinging blush creeping not only over his face, but also ears, neck and even conquering the skin of torso. Why? What have he done in his previous life, that he has to suffer so much?

“JJ was taken to another apartment, by the way, and they gave him something to calm him,” said Phichit, super happy about the photos. Surely, the pictures were on the Internet by now. “He had too high blood pressure. I heard that he suffers from claustrophobia. Is that true? Yuuri, did you have to nurse _king JJ_ for an hour?” The Thai boy grinned cheerfully.

Embarrassed Yuuri scratched his cheek. “Sort of.”

“JJ’s parents were wailing as crazy,” continued Chulanont. “They were constantly whining in French and Viktor tried to calm them down but instead of listening they just yelled at rescuers more. A brawl for half of Barcelona! Viktor? What did they tell you that you got so upset?”

Yuuri was sensing the answer. Nikiforov’s face tensed when he faked smile carelessly. He just shrugged.

“They were worried that Yuuri could do something vicious to their son. They were really scared, I shouldn’t have risen my voice at them,” he claimed. “We all know this silly things that you say when you’re panicking.”

Surprisingly the Japanese skater giggled. “I can’t imagine who was more scared. Them or JJ.”

“Hey, pal, what have you done they’re so afraid?” asked inquisitive Phichit.

“They were scared that I could have seduced their precious son...” mumbled Yuuri and blast with laughter that surprised Viktor, Phichit and even him himself.

“Yuuri!” The Thai skater sung and joined laughter. After a short moment two Asian were rolling over, giggling like little boys over their little secret, which left Viktor confused. But the Russian decided not to interfere or ask, coming to the conclusion that it was something about old times in Detroit when two friends shared room and life actually. Viktor felt a little bit like in Hasetsu where he didn’t understand everything as well, and not because the linguistic barrier but because of nonverbal codes of communication that the Katsukis had.

Mari is out to smoke? Nobody disturbs her. Dad Katsuki goes to bed earlier? Everybody walks on their toes including customers. Mum Katsuki giggles with every _Vicchan!_? Viktor melts. Obvious things for family members.

Nikiforov put arms around his chuckling partner and let him rest on his chest. He let himself sink in the rippling laughter as he enjoyed it so much. It sounded like little pearls were popping out of Yuuri’s mouth.

All of sudden the doors opened so violently that they crashed to the wall and made a lot of rumble. Katsuki didn’t have to even look to know that here he came - Yuri Plisetsky!

“Oi, pig!” roared the young tiger of Russia. “Is it true that you got stuck in the elevator with that Canadian fart for nearly _an hour_?! How did you survive? Every SNS toots about that! Fangirls want to sue the hotel!”

Yuuri sighed. He looked at his own palms tangled with Viktor’s, focusing especially on shining rings. He could feel the breath of beloved one on his neck. So safe. Whatever was happening on the Internet, whatever was happening in the world. It couldn’t be possibly worse than after the gala performance, could it? People sometimes get stuck in the elevator.

Viktor freed his hand and gently combed Yuuri’s hair to touch the sore spot where the Japanese skater had hit his head.

“I think it’s bruising,” he claimed caressing Yuuri’s skin.

Yuuri lightly closed eyes surprised by the gentle and pleasant touch in the painful spot. He peek out through his eyelashes at Viktor’s face which was so close, little above. Their eyes met.

Phichit’s cell phone crashed to the floor.

“Oh my golden king!” he groaned. “What a beautiful canoodling!”

Yuri on the other hand was imitating vomiting.

“Oh!” Viktor recalled something. “Text Mari, she was very afraid. She even said that she should have stayed a day longer and come back together to Japan.”

“Who would have known that I got stuck in the elevator?” Yuuri laughed stretching for his phone. “Oh, right! Our flight! What time is...?”

The Japanese skater started nervously looking around in confusion.

“Easy, the hotel rebooked tickets on their behalf,” said Viktor. “No need to worry.”

“Yay! I have mine tomorrow as well!” Phichit was delighted.

“We’re gonna go tomorrow, too, ‘cause Lila’s meeting some friends,” mumbled Yuri. He wasn’t happy because Otabek’d already left this morning.

“Yuuri, you have to check out the bathroom! There’s no way, my bestie got a super expensive apartment as a redress, we’re gonna party!” Phichit started to enliven. “By the way, they got the same toilet as in Japan! It sings, showers, full service!”

“Really?!” Yuri got excited as well.

They both rushed to the bathroom. Viktor and Yuuri were watching with a slice of second hand embarrassment.

“Did they just run to admire a loo?”

They heard flash sounds.

“And, I guess, they’re going through a photo session?” added Viktor amused. He rested his forehead on Yuuri’s. Katsuki breathed slowly enjoying a warm light feeling that filled his stomach. He embraced Nikiforov and nuzzle his face up to a curve of partner’s neck. The Russian kissed his ear.

“I thought you didn’t want to kiss it unless it was gold,” mumbled Yuuri.

“You’re all gold for me,” purred Viktor running his lips through the sore spot on Yuuri’s head.

After an affectionate moment, Katsuki pulled out a little bit to look at partner’s face.

“Viktor,” he started so serious that the Russian swallowed hard. “Why didn’t you tell me about all the gossips about us? That I seduced you and...“

Viktor grinned. “They’re not gossips, that’s true.”

Seeing a cloudy look that was given to him, he rushed to add: “Yuuri, I’m in this business longer than you. If I had to care about all scandals and misunderstandings, I would end my career before it even started. Not mentioning about alimonies for my fangirls impregnated by just thinking about me.”

Yuuri changed position in his lover arms making himself comfortable. Phichit and Yuri were having an argue in the bathroom but they were drowned by the music of forest or something like that.

“JJ was afraid of me,” said Yuuri. “I didn’t have a clue that somebody could be afraid of me.”

“Yuuri,” whispered softly Viktor. “You took the second place, almost the first. You beat the world’s record. Your stamina is better than everybody’s else combined. It’s obvious that people see you as a hard opponent. Why, do you think, Yura is so motivated? It wasn’t caused by me, I assure you.”

Yuuri signed. “I’m not talking about the competition. I meant the personal level. JJ said that I seemed superior and haughty. He interpreted my actions as a mocking behavior.”

Viktor budged a little but after a second he started with an understanding tone:

“Well, honestly, you’re the master of overthinking and misinterpretation.” He pulled Yuuri closer, dipping his nose in partner’s hair. “Now you see. People can not only be afraid of you, but also admire you. You think that you have no friends amongst skaters, only Phichit, but that’s not true. You’re seen as cool, serious person. Everybody wants to befriend you.”

“You don’t want to know what JJ’s parents think of me,” mumbled Yuuri. “I don’t think they’d be happy about JJ befriending me.”

“Well, the problem is real, I’ve already heard it,” answered Viktor. “I assured them that they were wrong, that you would help their son to face claustrophobia.”

“He had such strong anxiety attack, you have no idea. I felt sorry for him,” said Yuuri. “Mari always says that you can find a human being in every dick, and she’s so right. Beside the fact, that she gripes it when she has to clean somebody vomits or nasty bathrooms.”

For some reason Viktor just affectionately kissed Yuuri’s forehead. This moment Yuri choose to show up from the bathroom. Again, he gurgled as he was spewing the lunch. Phichit recorded that with a phone which didn’t cause nice reaction from Yuri.

All this mess was stopped by knocking to the door.

“It’s Yakov,” assured Viktor and Yuri reluctantly went to open.

After unshuting it just a little bit, it turned out that it wasn’t Yakov with Lila, but JJ with Isabella. The young Russian was so shocked that he closed the door at once.

“Yurio!” protested Viktor and Yuuri.

“Pig spent enough time with him today for his own good!” screamed Yuri. “If he wants to see him more, that means that he hit himself too hard!”

In all the racket that was created, Phichit was the hero as he let inside a very abashed couple. Plisetsky gave them a basilisk look which would scare anyone, but Isabella paid a favor. JJ was desperately trying to save the situation pushing gently his fiancée to go around the young angry boy and get themselves in the near of the Japanese skater.

Katsuki immediately stood up releasing himself from Viktor’s embrace.

“Can we?” asked JJ awkwardly.

“Sure,” answered softly Yuuri. “Do you feel better?”

“Actually I’ve just come to ask you about that. You scared us all with the faint,” said JJ.

“How’s your head?” asked Isabella, breaking the angrily eye contact with Yuri.

Katsuki put his palm on the sore spot. “Nothing that a professional athlete wouldn’t survive.”

Yang stepped forward in his direction making the Japanese skater ducked awkwardly as he stepped back just to crush to the Viktor’s chest who was standing beside him. The girl quickly realized her mistake of coming too close so she increased the space between them. Isabella drew her arms in front of her as she was holding a small chocolate box.

“I just wanted to apologize for being so rude earlier,” she said. “I noticed that fans throwing you plushie food after performances so I thought that you might like Belgian chocolate.”

Yuuri stared blankly at the box blinking confusedly. Viktor reached for the chocolate instead of him.

“Thank you, that’s very kind,” he said. Then he turned to Phichit. “I’m a very patient man but can you just stop taking pictures?”

The Thai winced. “Yuuri, your fiancé doesn’t know what the fun is,” he whined.

“My fiancé does have right, however,” said the Japanese skater coldly and he imploded a little bit after saying aloud words _my fiancé_. Viktor almost snored from happiness, Yuri got hiccup and Phichit’s eyes started to get wet.

“Wow, you’re making the scary face,” pointed JJ looking closely at Yuuri. Katsuki opened eyes really widely in response.

“And now he’s making the cute face,” added Isabella.

Yuuri wanted his face to fall off so there would be no more comments. Viktor encouraged the couple to sit down and tried his best at opening a bottle of vine. Yuri almost immediately put legs on the table like he didn’t care of anyone there. Phichit looked like a person on a rehab when he was prohibited from taking pictures.

Katsuki gazed at the table surface in a sign of embarrassment.

“Between us is everything ok?” asked Isabella.

“Yes, yes!” he nodded quickly. “Everything’s good.”

“I don’t think I thank you for all that,” said JJ. “This morning I was so sure that you were the last person I’d like to stuck in a lift with. Well, maybe one before last.” He gave a peek at Yuri. “Anyway, I think that it was better with you than it’d be with Isabella.” He winked at her. “And with my parents. They would freak out the same as me.”

“JJ,” launched out Isabella. “I’m jealous when you’re talking like that.”

“You should be,” interfered Viktor. “Everybody wants to stuck in an elevator with Yuuri.”

At this not so subtle joke, Yuri fell off the chair, Phichit burst with a loud giggle, same as JJ, and Yuuri just gracefully slid down under the table and refused to come out. Viktor poured vine as nothing had happened. Chulanont ruthlessly jumped on the gift basket to dig out a package of dry fruits. Isabella complimented his skills of using an eyeliner from which the good-natured Thai boy was more than flattered.

JJ looked shortly under the table. “Alive?”

“I don’t know”, claimed Yuuri eyes fixed on the bottom of table. Slowly he turned his head to the Canadian. “What would have you thought of me lying like that, if we hadn’t spent this hour in the elevator?”

JJ took a moment to think.

“I guess that you don’t want to spend time with us.”

“And you’re mad that we’re spoiling your date with Viktor,” added Isabella.

“Actually, that’s one’s true.” The Russian gave her a wink.

Yuuri made unwanted squeal.

Yuri rolled eyes.

Phichit had his gaze fixed at the cell phone confiscated by Viktor.

“That faint was very scenic, tho,” said Isabella.

Katsuki nearly jumped out from under the table. “I wasn’t faking it!”

“I know!” The girl laughed at Yuuri’s reaction. “Apparently cute actions are natural for you. It’s weird that fangirls aren’t chasing you as the Angels chasing Yuri.”

Viktor pushed JJ from the armchair, so he could sit next to Isabella. Leroy looked confused staying on the floor with Yuuri.

“Because! Yuuri is cute!” Viktor showed something on his phone to Isabella.

Katsuki almost trampled on JJ when he rushed to stop his partner from making any further shame. Phichit took advance at general commotion and threw himself through the table to rescue a hostage in a shape of the cell phone. Isabella was however quicker and with one move she took the phone and put it in the pocket at her butt. Chulanont gave her a doubtful look: _You really think I won’t reach there?_

In the same time, Yuuri stumbled on JJ’s knee and smashed his nose into the upper side of Viktor’s thigh. Either Nikiforov, or Leroy, were trying to save Katsuki from any further harm, so they ended up holding different parts of Yuuri’s body.

A snapshot sounded loudly. Everybody slowly rose their eyes at Yuri.

“Wow. I can blackmail all of you with just one picture,” he claimed.

Isabella and Phichit understood each other without word said. They created a coalition and united together rushed on the young Russian. Yuri started screaming curses in three languages.

“Yurio...” Viktor and Yuuri scolded their almost adoptive son.

JJ was loosing himself from laughing.

“Yurio, listen to your proud fathers,” he said to Plisetsky.

Yuri got so furious that Yuuri started to worry about boy’s health. Mixing out themselves from the mess, Isabella and Phichit were admiring the blackmail photo wanting to send it to everyone.

“You have no right to call me _Yurio_ , you asshole! You have no right to stay on the podium, you prick! You stole the medal from Beka, you piece of shit! And they’re not my fathers!”

Isabella calmly gave his phone back to him which caused in silencing him.

“Actually the photo is pretty funny,” she said. “Even though, it puts me in a little suggestive pose with the presented Thai.”

“Whatever,” commented Phichit. “The best thing is Yuuri. He looks as he wants to give Viktor a blowjob but JJ tries to stop him,” he added in professional voice.

Yuuri squeaked protractedly, buried his face in hands and fell down on the rug. According to noises Yuri was making, he really was about to puke.

Isabella took leading like she was born to it. She called the reception and coerced a large dinner using a blackmail strategy and skaters’ shattered nerves after the accident caused by the hotel. Viktor helped offering payment for two bottles of expensive champagne. That was something that Yuuri didn’t want to even hear about and his protests induced an urge to recall his last’s year banquet performance on the pole.

Isabella flattered Yuuri that she had enjoyed it a lot, at least a part that she had seen. That was why Phichit suggested JJ to take a few lessons of pole dancing with Yuuri which caused a lot of enthusiasm from their partners. Leroy claimed reluctantly that he didn’t see the whole performance because his parents took him and his siblings claiming that the level of erotism and drunkenness was too high for their underage children. Actually they did try to find Celestino with the help of Yakov, so the Italian would stop the embarrassing efforts of his pupil, but at the end they saw him as drunk as his student, lying under the buffet.

Yuuri wanted to die. And yet the same time he wanted to live. Exactly like this. Eating good food, drinking bubbly moderately, listening to Yuri bitching about every single thing, laughing Phichit repeating for eighth time _It’s JJ style!_ together with Isabella, to the point that they made even JJ embarrassed. And first of all, he wanted to live feeling Viktor’s fingers tightly tangled together with his own. The whole world could see how he’d seduced him. Just like that.

Next morning, when they were waiting for a plane on the airport, a little rumpled after evening party, Viktor pulled Yuuri closer to show him the screen of the phone. There was a picture with thousands of shares and even more likes. Katsuki felt dizzy. The photo presented yesterday’s party where Yuuri was sitting between astonishing JJ and Isabella blowing a kiss to the air. They all three were showing a sign of victory, with their pointing and middle finger. Yuuri had explained that in Japan that was a very popular gesture to take picture with and the couple decided they would do it. Somebody added a red line on all V signs stretching it a little down, so they practically became Y signs. There was also a short caption below the photo:

It’s Yuuri style!


End file.
